


Room For Improvement

by ColorTeal



Series: Cliffjumper Lived AU [4]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Decepticons Becoming Neutrals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2015-01-16
Packaged: 2018-03-07 19:43:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3180818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorTeal/pseuds/ColorTeal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starscream critiques the Autobot base.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Room For Improvement

“No lining up? No- no role call of your troops?”

“No, Starscream.” Optimus answered from where he worked, on a terminal scanning for Decepticon activity while tapping away at the worn keyboard.

“We have so few on our side,” Ratchet called from the second workspace of the main area of the base. “That you just have to _glance_ and know who’s here, and who is not.”

Expecting them to look at the base, to count who was and wasn’t there despite nobody coming in or out of the groundbridge in hours, neither the Prime or the medic let themselves be distracted from their work.

But Starscream counted. Counted, noted who was closest, who was farthest. Notes on who had moved since he last checked.

“I expected you to be much stricter. You certainly can’t handle any casualties.”

“We’ve drifted through many ways of running all sorts of teams, Starscream. And we’re still… readjusting.” Ratchet huffed. “Smaller teams are more sensitive to changes.”

“What chang-” Starscream lifted a sharp finger, accusatory tone of voice just loud enough to bounce off the concrete walls. “Oh.” His hand dropped at the realization.

The change was him.

“Well. There’s always room for improvement.” Starscream rose to stretch, another excuse to look around again and note changes. “You have no mounted weapons incase of a breach. You have two exits, one of which is a _hodgepodge_ of a groundbridge only in _name_. You don’t have the numbers to call yourself an army, yo-”

The jet suddenly quieted, noticing Ratchet’s glare and Optimus’ concern bordering on what might be yet another informative reprimand. A huff followed by a sharp heel-turn and storming away, Starscream found, was often enough to avoid this kind of confrontation.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this works better just by itself!


End file.
